Clutch pedal return spring



Oct. 19, 1937. A. K. WATT 2,096,151

CLUTCH PEDAL RETURN SPRING Filed Aug. 8', 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 19, 1937. WATT 2,096,151

CLUTCH PEDAL RETURN SPRING Filed Aug. 8, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WWW...

Hum/amp Pat nted ct.19, 1937 V 2,.096151 e v I 2,096,151 j g .CLUTCH PEDAL RETURN SPRING Andrew K. Watt, Lansing, Mich., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application August 8, 1936, Serial'No. 94,945

2 Claims. (01. 192-99) This invention relates to a pedal for the operalower end of an arm 5| depending from a tubular 7 tion of the clutch of a motor vehicle and more rock shaft 53. This rock shaft has a ball joint particularly to the return spring therefor. support as at 55 with the casing 9 at one end and 7 An object is to provide a clutch pedal with a is similarly supported from the chassis frame at 5 'return spring arranged to operate in a reverse the other end 51. At that other end is an arm 5 direction and aid in pedal depression after the 59 connected by a link 6| to the lower end of a initial movement of the latter. clutch release pedal 63. The pedal is pivoted on Other objects include efliciency, simplicity and a pivot pin 55 carried by the chassis frame 61. economy in the attainment of the major object. Link 49 may be made adjustable in length if de- 10 In the illustrative drawings: 7 sired and as shown. It extends somewhat beyond 10 Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the clutch its pivotal connection 69 with arm 5|. At its expedal and the parts associated therewith acting treme end it is pivoted to the eye ll on the end to release the vehicle clutch. of one leg of a U-shaped spring 13. .The other leg Fig. 2 is a side elevation of parts shown in Fig. of the spring is pivoted on a pin .15 carried by 1 but displaced from the relative position therein a bracket 11 secured to the clutch housing at 19. 15

shown.' 7 It will be observed that pivot]! in Fig. 1 is to Fig. 3 is a section as seen fromiline 33 of the left of a line joining pivot 15 and the axis of Fig. 1. rotation 8| of the arm 5|, while in Fig. 2 pivot Fig. 4 is a plan view, partly'brokenaway and in is tOth right o t line- 1 shows the section. 7 relative positions of the parts when the pedal 20 Fig. 5 shows in side elevation a modified form. 63 isreleased and the clutch engage by its sp i Referring by reference characters to the draw- 2 Under these Conditions the U spring ings, there is shown at thereal. of the. engine under stress and its ends tend to spread'apart. marked 1 a clutch housing 9. Within housing Since the end at 15 is fixed, the other end tends 9 may be seen such conventionaip t as the to separate therefrom and to pull rodGl and rock 25 toothed ring ll of the flywheel, driven shaft I3, the pedal 63 to its limiting idle position. Ifthe driven plate I5 and pressure plate H. An abutpedal is depressed, rod i Pulled W h it ment plate I9 is secured to the flywheel in any pi t H. Sp 73 is further o pr s ed. a preferred way. Springs, one shown at 2|, seat p ot brought into the line joining Pivots on plate [9 and push the pressure plate into oper- B a d The manual effort in depressing the ative position. The pressure plate extends pe is resisted b this spring Co p es on through an opening 23 in the abutment plate and Upon the exertion of further manual efiort, the thus rotates with the flywheel. The abutment pivot Tl passes to the pp de O the aforeplate carries pins such as 25 formed with trunsaid lin as h wn y Fis- Th energy store nions 21. The ends of pin 25 are reciprocable in in the spring in reaching the said line is then bored out guide openings 29 in the pressure plate. released to assist the operator in depressing the There are a plurality of the trunnion carrying pedal because in expanding it tends to rock arm pins distributed about the plate I 9. On each 5| counterclockw e and'thus pushes p n rm 49. trunnion is pivoted a finger 3|. The inner ends y the ehO'Ve pe i it y p spr 40 of the fingers engage a disc 33, the latter adapted located s shown normally holds the pedal in ts 40 1 to be moved forwardly; 'to the left in the figure, i l p i i mofie a l h r sistance to thefirst I and to thereby rotate the finger shown in Figure part Of the p da depression b reversing 4 counterclockwise. To so move the disc 33, a i s action n th p l as it passes hr e lever 35 is pivoted at 31 on a fulcrum device 39 line of centers,veryma a y ss the p -t carried by the housing 9 and at its inner end it by reducin the m n l efiort r q r d to f r 45 engages trunnions 4| on a collar 43 carrying a ther depress thep d rele se the clutch. block 45 of antifriction composition. The block In' Fig. 5, I have shown an embodiment of the l 45 is positioned to contact the disc 33. The ends invention using a modified form of spring-ea of the fingers engage the pressure plate. When spring 13" made of material circular in cross secthe lever 35 is actuated in a counterclockwise tion and shaped as shown. The spring. ends are 50 direction, it moves the pressure plate against the attached at 1| to the end of link 49,and to a. r compression of springs 2| and releases the clutch. bracket 11 the latter corresponding to bracket The lever 35 which may be called the throwout 11. This embodiment of the inventionoperates V lever extends through an opening 41 in casing 9. in the same way asthe one employing the flat v At its outer end it is connected by a link 49 to the spring 13. Obviously springs of othercross sec- 5 i tional shapes may be used in place of springs 1. In combination with a clutch, a thro'wout lever, a pedal, a rock shaft, arms on said rock shaft, links pivoted to saidarms and to said throwout lever and pedal, one of said links Vextending beyond its :piv ot ed connection with its. arm, a spring having legs, one or said legsi hagvin'g a fixed anchorage, the other leg connected to said link extension, whereby when said pedal is de--:

pressed the link extension moves across a line joining the fixed anchorage and the axis of the 7 rock shaft.

2. In combination, a manually operable lever, a clutch having apart movable to effect clutch release, operating connections between said lever and part, said connections including a rock shalt with an arm, a U'-shapedspring having legs, one

leg having'a fixed anchorage and means to secure the other leg to said arm, the end of said other leg movable in the,.act.,of clutch release from one side, to the other of aline joining said fixed anchorage to the axis of said shaft and thereby operable both to hold the lever in idle position and 'to' supplement the manual effort appliedatothe leverin the act of clutch release.

j j K. WATT. 

